Correspondence
Email to Safeway's parent company, Albertsons Companies, which handles Safeway communications. January 17, 2023: A letter with the same text as the email dated January 10 was sent by certified mail.
The email outlined two supply chain links to Safeway. First, it described abuses on a jigger owned by Rongcheng Wangdao, including the death of one crew member and disembarkation of a second for medical care after mistreatment on board, and multiple indicators of forced labor among the ship’s crew. It then traced squid from that vessel to the Chishan Group processor Shandong Haidu, which supplies squid products to The Town Dock, whose calamari retail products are carried by Safeway. The email also noted Chishan ships had been observed fishing in North Korean waters in violation of UN sanctions. Secondly, it traced squid from processor Shantou Haimao, which processes squid caught by Chinese vessels in waters Taiwan claims as its own, to Fortuna Sea Products. Fortuna’s West Bay brand squid is sold by Safeway. The email asked if the company had any comment in light of the information discovered in The Outlaw Ocean Project investigation.
The Outlaw Ocean Project sent an email to the Albertsons media team, marked FAO Dennis McCoy, the company's media contact. The email said: "I contacted the Albertsons media team earlier this year regarding The Outlaw Ocean Project’s investigation into abuses in the Chinese squid fishing industry, as it related to Safeway's supply chain. I am contacting you now in light of new findings made as part of our ongoing reporting on human rights and environmental issues connected with the world’s oceans.
Further to my previous correspondence, we have uncovered a link between a company engaged in the use of Uyghur forced labor in seafood processing and a supplier in your supply chain. Yantai Sanko Fisheries Co. Ltd., which supplies white fish products to High Liner Foods Inc., has received persons from the Xinjiang region of China under a state-imposed labor transfer program. The United Nations, human rights organizations and academic experts agree that since 2018, the Chinese government has systematically subjected Xinjiang’s predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities to forced labor across the country via state-sanctioned employment programs which use coercive methods in worker enrollment. The U.S. has prohibited the importation of goods produced from state-imposed forced labor. Safeway stocks High Liner white fish products.
Does Safeway have any comment or statement to make in response to the above information?"
Email sent to the media team at Albertsons, which handle communications for Shaw's Supermarket, an Albertsons company. The email said: "I’ve emailed the Albertsons media team twice already this year regarding our investigation into abuses in the Chinese squid fishing industry and forced labor in seafood processing, as those issues related to Safeway’s supply chain. I’m contacting you again now regarding Shaw’s Supermarkets, an Albertsons company, which stocks the Dagim Tahorim Co.’s product, Dagim Premium Flounder Fillets.
Dagim Tahorim imports flounder from the processor Yantai Sanko Fisheries, based in China. As discussed in my email dated July 4, 2023, Yantai Sanko Fisheries Co. Ltd. has received persons from the Xinjiang region of China under a state-imposed labor transfer program since 2019 and until at least 2022. The United Nations, human rights organizations and academic experts agree that since 2018, the Chinese government has systematically subjected Xinjiang’s predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities to forced labor across the country via state-sanctioned employment schemes which use coercive methods in worker enrollment. The U.S. has prohibited the importation of goods produced from state-imposed forced labor.
Do Albertsons or Shaw’s have any comment to make on the above information?"
The Outlaw Ocean Project emailed the Albertsons media team, saying: "I have contacted the Albertsons media team several times this year regarding The Outlaw Ocean Project’s investigation into abuses in the Chinese fishing and seafood processing industries, as they relate to the supply chains of your brands Albertsons, Safeway’s, ACME and Shaw’s. Our investigation continues to surface additional questions in relation to your company’s supply chain, specifically your supplier High Liner Foods.
In addition to the supplier Yantai Sanko mentioned in our emails dated July 4 and July 14, 2023, High Liner Foods has also imported shipments of yellowfin sole from Yantai Longwin Foods Co. Ltd. Yantai Longwin is linked to Yantai Sanko through corporate ownership. Our investigation has also found Uyghurs working at Yantai Longwin, since August 2020 and until as recently as March 2023. High Liner has imported shipments of cod, pollock, haddock, yellowfin sole, ocean perch and flounder from Yantai Sanko Fisheries Co. Ltd. Our investigation demonstrates the presence of Uyghur workers at Yantai Sanko from as early as 2019 and as recently as April 2023. High Liner white fish products are stocked at Albertsons, ACME Safeway and Shaw’s stores nationwide.
Could you confirm whether white fish sourced from Yantai Sanko or Yantai Longwin has been used in any of the High Liner branded white fish sold by Albertsons, Safeway, ACME or Shaw’s since 2019?"
Sarah Holland, Senior Director of External Communications at Albertsons, replied with a statement: "Albertsons Cos. is committed to providing our customers with high-quality and traceable seafood from environmentally and socially responsible sources, and we take these allegations very seriously. We expect our suppliers to adopt and comply with comprehensive, transparent and verifiable supply chains that are free of human trafficking and forced labor. We are thoroughly investigating these claims, and in light of High Liner Foods’ ties to one of the alleged fisheries, we have made the decision to stop purchases of flounder and yellowtail sole from this supplier. At the conclusion of our investigation, we will reevaluate our position. For background: Albertsons Cos. has confirmed the origins of all other products we source from High Liner Foods in China. We will be partnering with verified third party auditors and FishWise, our responsible seafood partner, to conduct unannounced audits of the fisheries and production facilities in China that produce those products. We will assess our sourcing decisions based on those findings."
The Outlaw Ocean Project replied: "Thank you for your response and positive engagement with our findings. You write that Albertsons is suspending purchases of flounder and yellowtail sole from High Liner, pending conclusion of your investigation. Can I clarify that decision applies to all of your company's retail banners (Albertsons, Shaw's, ACME and Safeway)? Will Albertsons also be withdrawing High Liner flounder and yellow tail products from sale?
Thank you also for outlining the steps you intend to take to investigate our allegations further. Our findings show that social audits (specifically: Sedex Member Ethical Trade Audits, SMETA) conducted by leading firms have consistently failed to detect Uyghur forced labor at multiple sites over a period of multiple years. This includes audits conducted at Yantai Sanko Fisheries Co. Ltd. We have engaged buyers, relevant auditors, the standards holder, Sedex, and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) on this matter. In light of this, does Albertsons have any comment on the effectiveness of audits (announced or unannounced) in identifying state-imposed forced labor among Xinjiang ethnic minorities at Chinese worksites? Could you confirm which third party audit firm Albertsons intends to partner with to conduct this audit, and what specific measures they and/or Fishwise will adopt to increase the sensitivity of the audit tool to state-imposed forced labor affecting Xinjiang ethnic minorities?"
Sarah Holland, Senior Director of External Communications at Albertsons, replied with a statement: "Our decision to stop purchases of flounder and yellowtail sole from High Liner Foods applies to all of our company’s retail banners including Albertsons, Shaw's, ACME and Safeway. We will not be pulling the current flounder and yellowtail sole product from shelves. The product is safe for consumption and consciously discarding it would increase food waste going to landfills, another important issue. As one of our country’s largest grocers, Albertsons Companies is always working to improve transparency within our seafood supply chain; to protect the oceans; and to provide fair and equitable treatment for the people who depend on them for their livelihoods. We will continue to collaborate with FishWise, who also serves other large retailers in the U.S., and third-party auditors (beyond SMETA) to identify potential issues, enhance best practices and implement change to reduce human trafficking and forced labor risks in seafood supply chains, which may include both announced and unannounced audits in challenging areas, including China."